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Australias record in the Super Rugby tournament is hardly in the back-slapping category. Just four titles in 20 years. You can now make that four titles in 21 years, after Australia failed to field a semi-final candidate this season.In spite of the drama over the Brumbies missing out on a semifinal berth following a disallowed try against the Highlanders last Friday night, 2016 would rank among Australias worst Super Rugby seasons. All five teams were sadly off the pace for most of the competition, while several struggled with serious off-field issues.Greg Growden runs his rule over each Australian teams 2016 campaign.BrumbiesThey deserve credit for being the only local team to make the finals, but it was still a disconcerting season for the Brumbies- suffering the stumbles before securing the Australian conference.They first had to overcome a long-running off-field saga that revealed serious divisions within the ranks, and eventually saw its chief executive Michael Jones leave the organisation after expressing concerns over various Brumbies financial issues. Then the Brumbies appeared to struggle with their on-field direction, becoming more of a forward based outfit the longer the season went, moving well away from its traditional stance of being Australias most flourishing and inventive attacking unit.In the end, the often stodgy Brumbies had to turn to a reliable forward pack that knew for the second season running how to use the driving maul to full effect to keep them ahead of the Waratahs on the competition table. Their most consistent performers were all up front, with prop Scott Sio, hooker Stephen Moore, locks Rory Arnold and Sam Carter and backrowers Scott Fardy and David Pocock having strong seasons. They also made the best signing of the year, with their Argentinean half-back Tomas Cubelli easily the best No 9 in the Australian conference. Cubelli was instrumental in the Brumbies making the quarterfinal cut.Whether the Brumbies can remain Australias leading province in 2017 is debatable as they are losing an abundance of talent who are either heading overseas or interstate.Mark: C plus. 2015 mark: B2014 mark: B plus2013 mark: B plus.WaratahsJust two years after winning the Super Rugby title, the Waratahs slid to 10th position- putting their coach Daryl Gibson under enormous pressure. What was so disconcerting about the Waratahs was that they had several good chances to make the finals, but squandered every one of them.For most of the season they appeared disjointed, and were never able to get over the loss of midfielder Kurtley Beale through injury. In the few games that Bernard Foley and Beale combined, the Waratahs attack showed some menace, but that dropped off after Beale was sidelined.One player who cannot be blamed for the provinces demise is their captain Michael Hooper. He did begin the season way off colour, prompting a rebuke from former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer who described his form as dreadful. Hooper could have easily sulked after such a pointed public attack. Instead he focused on improving his game, and for the rest of the season was among the best performers in the Australian conference. He had several exceptional games, in particular against the Stormers in Cape Town.It was also clear Hooper had matured as a skipper, never letting the occasion get to him. His leadership will be crucial in Tahland in coming years, especially next season following the departure of numerous players from their successful 2014 campaign.Mark: C 2015 mark: B minus2014 mark: A plus2013: C plusRebelsThey suffered several dreadful losses in particular against the Crusaders in Christchurch, but the Rebels continue to hold up well against the other Australian provinces. One can never dispute the Rebels enthusiasm, while they have in their favour a shrewd coach in Tony McGahan. Under McGahan there is a no-nonsense policy at the Rebels.The loss of Scott Higginbotham was as expected difficulty to overcome, but back-rower Sean McMahon by the end of the season showed he has the skills and enthusiasm to become a crucial upfront leader, producing several quality performances. His final round effort against the Reds was exceptional, almost singlehandedly beating the opposition.The Rebels struggled late in the season with an overwhelming injury list, while No 10 Jack Debreczeni sometimes appeared to be affected by the pressure of being the teams prime playmaker. There is still a sense of promise, especially as the province possesses one of the best attacking players in the competition- Sefa Naivalu. They are still several players off from being a formidable team.Mark: C 2015 mark: B plus2014 mark: D2013 mark: DRedsFollowing the departure of head coach Richard Graham after a few rounds, for a short time under the command of Nick Stiles and Matt OConnor there was a resurgence within the Reds. But that soon petered out and in the end it was another underwhelming season for a team that not so long ago was a powerhouse of Australian Rugby.While half-back Nick Frisby is a trier and had several commendable games, the Reds still desperately miss the talents of Will Genia, Quade Cooper and co, with the side seriously short of midfield authority. Opposition teams consistently exposed them in that area, and also took advantage of an often substandard defensive alignment. No wonder there was a sense of relief in Brisbane late in the season when Cooper was sighted back in town and indicating that he may be back in the Reds colours next season.Centre Samu Kerevi attempted to bring back some aggression and thrust out wide but often lacked backup, while Liam Gill, Greg Holmes and Andrew Ready were the best in a pack that were one of the better performers at scrum and lineout time.Stiles, this week appointed the new Reds coach, has an enormous task in 2017, especially with Holmes and Gill departing. At least the Reds have begun their recruitment drive positively by signing George Smith and luring Stephen Moore back to Brisbane. The tension will be eased further if Cooper returns. Maybe, just maybe, a Reds revival?Mark: D 2015 mark: F2014 mark: F2013 mark: BForceAnother miserable season for the Force. They were winless at home, had to replace their coach Michael Foley during the competition, the Australian Rugby Union took over the running of the struggling province, and they suffered disciplinary dramas following a boozy night in Bloemfontein. They also had to cope with a tough Super Rugby draw- and not surprisingly finished with only two victories- against the Reds and Sunwolves.There werent too many bright moments in their season, especially after Matt Hodgson, their most loyal player, was ruled out through injury. Without Hodgson and Ben McCalman, the Force were rudderless. Their best player was easily full-back Dane Haylett-Petty, who justifiably made the Test team before even he slipped up in Bloemfontein.The ARU have agreed to prop up the Force, and confirmed that the province is staying in Perth, but the problem remains- how to lure players from the other side of the country, which has led to them relying on overseas signings, particularly from South Africa. Whoever their new coach is will be walking into the toughest job among the Australian provinces.Mark: F 2015 mark: F2014 mark: B2013 mark: C Miami Marlins Gear . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. Wholesale Marlins Jerseys . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. https://www.cheapmarlinsjerseys.us/ . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. Miami Marlins Store . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Cheap Marlins Jerseys . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Nazair Jones came home after his Roanoke Rapids (N.C.) High team lost in the state playoffs so wiped out from his exceptional performance that he fell asleep on the couch.The next morning, he got up like normal. But when he tried to walk, Jones could not move. He screamed for his mother and sister to help him. Excruciating pain gripped his legs. They called an ambulance and he went to the hospital.Doctors could not explain why a healthy, active 15-year-old boy suddenly felt paralyzed from the waist down. They gave him a shot for the pain and sent him home.Yet the pain continued for weeks. Jones alternated between using crutches, a walker and a wheelchair to get around and started losing weight. He saw other doctors, but all of them were baffled.Seeing him walk with a walker, a teenager who is 6-foot-5, I thought I was losing my son, said his mother, Tammy.At his lowest point, Jones got down to 215 pounds and spent weeks bedridden in a hospital. Months of rehab followed. Today, the junior weighs nearly 300 pounds and is the key player in the middle of a North Carolina defensive front that faces yet another huge test Saturday, against No. 12 Florida State and a resurgent Dalvin Cook.Considering the odds, Jones has made a remarkable turnaround. I had to put my mind to it, Jones said. I was not going to let that be the end of my career.But nobody could say for certain whether Jones would play football again. North Carolina coach Larry Fedora had seen Jones on tape and immediately saw why the four-star recruit was one of the top defensive line prospects in the state. He was phenomenal, Fedora said.Fedora wanted to offer a scholarship, but word had gotten to him that Jones was struggling physically. Still, he went to the high school to meet Jones for the first time. During the visit, Jones tried to hide his discomfort and the crutches, knowing a football scholarship was on the line. But after about five minutes, Jones asked Fedora, If you dont mind, could I sit down? I cant stand up Im in so much pain.Fedora did not see an imposing defensive lineman; he saw a thin young man who could hardly stand. He left that first meeting without offering a scholarship.The Jones family kept searching for answers about his condition. As the pain escalated, Jones was referred to the University of North Carolina Childrens Hospital, about two hours from his hometown. He was admitted on his 16th birthday.Jones went through a series of exams, from ultrasounds on his legs to bloodwork to nerve tests. Even then, doctors looked at him, puzzled. His mother worried even more. If the best doctors at UNC could not answer this, who would?At this point, Jones could not walk. His legs and feet swelled grotesque amounts and were so sensitive, any little touch produced unspeakable pain.I was still in shock because I had just played a great game, even though we lost, and now I cant walk and I dont know why, so I wasnt really focused on the pain even though that was the worst part, Nazair Jones recalled recently. It didnt look human how swollen my legs were and the crazy thing is, I would be in the hospital bed and the swelling went from one leg to another. It alternates and does whatever it wants to do.Finally, doctors came back with a diagnosis: complex regional pain syndrome, a chronic disease that affects the nervous system. To this day, nobody has been able to tell Jones why he suddenly became afflicted. His family asked the doctors what would happen to Jones budding football career.The doctor said, Football? We need to see can we get you walking again, Tammy recalled.Once the diagnosis was made, Jones moved into the nearby Ronald McDonald House to begin his extensive rehab. There is no cure for the disease, so doctors often focus on physical rehab and psychotherapy. To manage the pain and swelling, he took ibuprofen and other painkillers. Jones had to relearn how to walk, and spent time in the pool doing water aerobics.The psychotherapy part was much harder to grasp.The weirdest thing I did was this exercise in the mirror, Jones said. I sat on thhe ground, and they put this long mirror in between your legs.dddddddddddd Because I was having so much pain in my legs, it was like my brain was sending pain signals to my feet and my legs, but there was no injury there. So basically, the therapy was me psyching myself into my legs working. I would literally look in the mirror and it would look like both of my legs and I was looking at my right leg, just getting movement and feeling back into my feet at the same time.Once I put my mind to it and started believing in the process, it began to work.Jones stayed at the Ronald McDonald House for two months, then continued his therapy back home. When he returned to school, Jones still needed help walking. But he had a cadre of friends ready to help him out, and they carried his books and backpack for him whenever he needed. Jones began walking normally again in May, and was able to rejoin his travel basketball team for a tournament that summer.But Jones wanted to play football in college, and that remained up in the air. His high school coach, Russell Weinstein, suggested they go to the final North Carolina football camp of the summer, just to show the staff that he was on the road back.Jones had regained the 40 pounds he lost, but he was not in the best shape. He got dehydrated and overheated and needed help from the training staff.He did not look like a D-I defensive lineman that day, Weinstein said. That was right when he got clearance to resume football activities. Naz knew he had to show up and fight the best he could under the circumstances. Coach Fedora was the first one to take the leap of faith and roll the dice.North Carolina offered him a scholarship that day. Weinstein and Jones pulled out of Chapel Hill and headed to Hardees to get something to eat, but Jones could not contain his excitement. He called his mother and said, Guess what! They offered me! Can I take it?Jones had been waiting on North Carolina, and felt it was meant to be, considering the universitys childrens hospital treated and diagnosed him. Weinstein turned the car around, and Jones went up to meet with Fedora.Coach, Jones said. Im a Tar Heel!We went off faith, really, that he was going to be OK, Fedora said. His junior year was phenomenal. It was a no-brainer. I remember just going and standing in that weight room with him thinking, Man, am I going to be able to recruit this kid? ... His comeback, its a heck of a story.Jones still had to play his entire senior football season. His strength and endurance were off, but that did not deter him. Weinstein estimates Jones was at 80 percent -- not bad considering all the time he could not run or practice. Still, his mother fretted over him.His very first game, I was worried he may get hit the wrong way or he may hit somebody the wrong way and if he does he may be paralyzed, Tammy said. I cant even describe how scared and afraid I was when they said he could play. I was down there yelling at the referee, He needs a break!Jones played his entire senior season, then his entire senior basketball season. But he continued to have episodes with the disease. In 2013, his freshman season at North Carolina, he began taking weekly shots of Enbrel, used to treat inflammatory conditions. He still takes those shots and meets with a rheumatologist to help manage the disease.Headed into this season, Fedora said Jones went through the best offseason he has ever had while at North Carolina. Keeping the symptoms at bay is part of everyday life for Jones, but so is working to improve the struggling Tar Heels run defense.That is the job he has wanted for years and years.I try to live in the moment because it can be taken away from you at any point, Jones said. Sometimes through the grind and the heat, you forget about how far you came, but I try to always bounce back on that. There was a point I couldnt even walk, so me being here to lead this group on the defensive line is a blessing. ' ' '